The Uplift Universe
Story BackgroundOriginally 17 galaxies were linked by tubes of focus time. As the universe expanded these tubes snapped, isolating galaxies onto themselves. Three billion years ago, when 11 galaxies were still joined together, the mythical Progenitors arose to begin the cycle of Uplift in which a Patron race aids a Client race to cross into full sentience. In return the Client gives the Patron 100,000 years of indentured servitude. Though the Progenitors have long since departed this plane of existence, before leaving they established the Library, other institutions and Galactic Law. (Or so the mythology goes.) Now after several billion years the Uplift Cycle remains unbroken and a myriad of Patron and Client races roam the remaining 5 linked galaxies believing that the Progenitors will some day return.
Now enters the Human race, who have themselves Uplifted two Client races, Dolphin and Chimpanzee. But the question remains - Who Uplifted Humans? Were they abandoned by some Galactic Patron when the job was only half done? Or did humans do what is thought to be impossible and Uplift themselves? Many races in the Galaxy would like to take over where Humans' neglectful Patrons left off, thereby adding to their own clans three new client races. But other powerful Galactics argued successfully that Humans be given Patron status. As of Startide Rising Humans have been in contact with Galactic Society for only 300 years and exist in a very precarious balance with other Galactics. They can call only three races friends, and many more as vicious enemies who think of them as a semi-evolved barbaric wolfing upstarts.
|Sundiver||1980||Two hundred years prior to the events of Startide Rising, an expedition of various races investigates rumors of a sentient species living within Sol.|
|Startide Rising||1983||A Dolphin crewed starship, Streaker, discovers a vast, ancient, abandoned fleet of giant starships, and every species in the five galaxies is after them for its secret location. This begins the foretold era of tremendous turmoil in The Five Galaxies.|
|The Uplift War||1987||Gubru forces take over a Human colony on the planet Garth in hopes of pressuring Earth's government to divulge the whereabouts of Streaker and its discovery.|
|Brightness Reef||1995||Over the past 2000 years seven races have fled Galactic Society to
Jijo, a planet off-limits and declared fallow for a million years. Now
these outlaws, having forged a peaceful coexistence, are discovered by
a ship chasing part of Streaker's crew.
Part One of THE UPLIFT TRILOGY.
|Infinity's Shore||1997||Part Two of THE UPLIFT TRILOGY.|
|Heaven's Reach||1998||Part Three of THE UPLIFT TRILOGY.|
- Abdicator - Anglic term used to describe a religious Galactic grouping which believe in the existence of ancient ethereal races that occasionally take physical form and undergo regular Uplift procedures, without ever revealing their true nature. It is believed that these races, known as Great Ghosts, put themselves in positions of intervention during Galactic emergencies, with the Progenitors being the eldest, most aloof, and powerful of them. This belief system dates back to the time of the Tarseuh, 600 million years ago. The races aligned with this belief system formed an alliance (though temporary) with the Transcendor forces above Kithrup. Thennanin belong to this Alliance.
- Affirmers They believe that the Progenitors "self-evolved on some planet, boot-strapping to full sapiency all by themselves". They don't sympathize with Earthclan, however, since they think it's an "arrogant hubris for mere wolfling to make such a claim".
- Awaiters - "egalitarian and pragmatic". Members - Qheuens, Zhosh, Guldingar, Tourmaj, Varhisties.
- Inheritor - believe that when the Progenitors return they will be chosen to rid the Universe of all unworthy species. Members - Talpu'ur.
- League of Prudent Neutral Clans - Thought to finally be gathering forces to intervene in the current crisis. Led by the Pargi.
- Lions - Alliance of three races that took control of the Five Galaxies for over 20 million years, 600 million years ago. Only reference numbers are given for these three races: 97AcF109t, 97AcG136t, 97AcG986s. The first two were amongst the most aggressive military forces in the history of the Five Galaxies. The third was responsible for the introduction of many innovative starship designs. They had control of most transfer points, centers of power, and all of the Libraries. During their reign they disregarded Galactic Laws engaging in uncontrolled expansion and colonization, resulting in the extinction of 80% of pre-client races. They were finally defeated by the Tarseuh and six ancient races.
- Obeyor - once met the Abdicator Alliance in ritual battle. The Jophur belong to this alliance.
- Transcendor - formed an alliance with the Abdicator forces above Kithrup.
- "A" worlds - Planets devoid of life and requiring terraforming, but free of restrictions by the Institutes of Tradition and Migration.
- Alph - Star of the planet Calafia
- Atlast - new and rustic human colony world, leased for only 6,000 years. Defenseless and may have been taken by the "Eatees".
- Calafia - Human and neo-dolphin Ocean World colony in the Alph System. Home of Toshio and Akki, both midshipmen from the Calafia Academy. Defenseless and may have been taken by the "Eatees".
- Cathrhennlin - Tymbrimi university world. Tom Orley, Gillian Baskin and their mentor Jacob Demwa paid a visit to this planet and observed the Clideu beasts which grazed in ever-changing puzzle patterns where genetically inbred to them by an ancient race.
- Deemi - Human colony in the Canaan Cluster. Another thrashed planet given to human.
- Dezni - planet were mulc spiders, creatures left to chemically breakdown any products left behind on a world after occupation, are found.
- Earth - In Galaxy 2. Home to 90% of humanity and leased to humans until they die out or move away. No record of Earth was found in the Library despite five migrations through this arm of the galaxy since the departure of the Progenitors.Humanity was force to sign an agreement to leave all other Earth species fallow in order to keep the planet. This agreement specifically stated Gorillas.
- Fractal Worlds - Numerous Criswell structures scattered through out the five galaxies measuring a trillionth of a cubic parsec with a volume of 30 Astrons. They have spiky soft (gaseous?) outer shells with large fractal spikes radiating inward toward the sun for maximum surface space. Home of countless species awaiting transcendance.
- Garth - A bright green Human and Chimpanzee colony world for over two generations, orbiting the star Gimlhai. Salts in the sea water were toxic to Dolphins. Garth had been written off by Galactic Institutes after the last tenants, Bururalli, devolved and nearly ruined the ecosystem 50,000 years ago. It was leased to humans on the condition of restoring a viable ecosystem - therefore human and Tymbrimi plants, ex:thula great-grass, were introduced. A native vine of Garth transported specific nutrients all over the forest to where they were either stored or used. These vines slowly move about the forest looking for new deposits of minerals.
- Gimelhai - Star of the planets Garth and Tloona. Gives off bluish light.
- Hermes - Toshio thought this could defend itself in the present crisis. Quaint farmlands.
- Horst - Human colony in the Canaan Cluster. Another thrashed planet given to human, dry and windy. Planet where Harry Harms grew up after his parents, Marko and Felicity, decided to leave the TSS Pelenor and study the human tribes (Probsher) of Horst.
- Izmunuti - Red Giant star, one light year away from Jijo's sun. Spews a carbon wind making supervision of Jijo difficult and thus a good hiding place for sooners.
- Jijo - In Galaxy 4. The last legal tenants were the Buyur but it has been occupied by seven sooner races for 2000 years. Jijo has three moons: Loocen, the largest, Torgen, the second moon, and Passen, the smallest.
- Jophekka - Swamp homeworld of the Jophur.
- Juthtath - Tymbrimi colony world.
- Kazzkark Base - Place where Harry Harms was stationed for the Institute of Navigation.
- Kithrup - Second planet of the Kthsemenee system; a water world rich in heavy metals. Kithrup had been designated fallow and untouchable by the Institute of Migration for the past 100 million years, even though Charles Dart found evidence of a technological society existing there as little as 30,000 years ago. The last planetary survey was 400 million years ago when the planet was put on reserve for the retirement and recovery of the Karrank%. Many of it's lifeforms had metals incorporated into their bodies, rather than calcium like Earthlings, and shone with bright colors. Individuals exposed to the seas of Kithrup for long periods of time would have to undergo chelation to remove the internal excess metal buildup. Metal mounds dominated an area of Kithrup near tectonic plates, and were composed on millions of metalo-organic exoskeletons piled on top of each other. On each island was a drill tree that sent metal tipped roots through each mound to harvest organics and silicates, depositing a non-metallic layer on top and creating a cavity underneath. The metal mound system was discovered to be the larval stage of the Karrank%. (See Species Gallery) The crew of Streaker found the native pre-sentient Kiqui here.
- Kthsemenee - Population-II orange dwarf star with a shallow gravity well. One habitable world, Kithrup, orbits this star, as well as a gas giant.
- Morgran - System in which Streaker was ambushed by several Galactic Forces.
- NuDawn - Earth colony
- Oakka - Green soaplike world. Headquarters of the Institute of Navigation.
- Omnivarium - Planet of song-birds, that will mimic any sound human settlers make. Toshio thought this human colony could defend itself in the present crisis.
- Paklatuthl - System or planet where the J'8lek client broke their indenture.
- Pila - Pilan homeworld. This planet has a 1.5 g gravity and orbits an F3 dwarf star with greenish-tint light. Licensed to the Kisa, recently free of their indenture to the Soro, as a Class C colony (residence no longer than 3 million years), 200 million years after the departure of the Mellin, who occupied it for 600 millennia. The Kisa found the Pila here.
- Poria Outpost - Danik base.
- Poul-Kren subquadrant - Close to the Orion sector and Canaan colonies. Area where negotiations took place with the Hydrogen breathers.
- Pring - Pring homeworld. Orbits an F7 star. Licensed to the Pila shortly after breaking indenture.
- Spoon Nebula
- Tanith - Location of the Central Library. In Galaxy Two.
- Tloona - Red planet orbiting Gimlhai.
- Tymbrim - Homeworld of the Tymbrimi.
- Urchachka - Urs homeworld.
Garthians named two constellations in their sky, the Sphinx and the Batman. The planet also had more than one moon. Geographical sites on Garth include Mountains of Mulun with Yenching Gap and Lorne Pass, Climar & Quintana Island, Valley of the Sind, Sea of Climar, Aspinal Bay, and Spring Valley - one of the rebel chim hideouts. Since Garth was somewhat isolated from other colonies it was a good target for the Gubru invasion force. After the Gubru were removed by the Thennanin, Garth was allowed to keep the new Library Branch and Ceremonial mounds as part of reparations. Other Gubru reparations would go toward restarting ecological restorations.
Tom Orley had lived here for a time. Gorilla were secretly Uplifted by Humans on this world and were given a 50,000 year lease on the Mulun Mountains.
- Institution of Civilized Warfare - Sets down rules governing all conflicts. Among it's rules are: the tactic of holding a colony hostage is permissible; a manifesto of intention is required before an invasion or conflict commences; gives all citizens, regardless of imprisonment, the right to use The Library; they frown on the mass slaughter of civilians.
- Institute of the Library - Most powerful of institutes since it bridges all galactic cultures through historical records of technology, wars, uplifts, planets, etc. It can be instrumental in keeping peace and avoiding wars to extinction. The flag of the Library with a rayed spiral sigil is the flag of truce. The Library Branch on Garth was a K outlet, which contained only 1000x all the human books written before Contact.
- Institute of Progress - small unimportant society to which Kanten Fagin belongs that endeavors to carry out a mandate of the Progenitors to respect Newness.
- Institute of Migration - Stodgy and environmentally fanatic organization enforcing Galactic Laws of Residence and Migration, determine which planets or whole areas of space will go fallow and for how long. Also give out temporary permits to races for residence on specified worlds. Usually a planet's continents would be left fallow, with a settlers occupying only coasts or islands. A Class C permit allows for a 300 million year residence. It allows humanity to purchase it 3 existing colonies at Cynus shortly after contact.
- Institute of Navigation - Headquartered on Oakka.
- Institute of Tradition
- Institute of Uplift - Regulated all affairs dealing with the uplift of species. It stimpulated that clients must be able to pilot starships, exercise judgement and logic, and be capable of becoming Patrions someday. It oversaw all Ceremonies of Adoption for aquiring a new species, and all Uplift Ceremonies.
- Uplift Ceremony - During some periods of Galactic history, the uplift
ceremony has been purely ceremonial, allowing Patrons to vouch for their
clients readiness without evidence. Other eras have seen a much stronger
Institute involved in all stages of a client Uplift. An example is the
Sumubulum Meritocracy.(?) The present era falls between these extremes
where both Institute supervision and Patron responsiblity play an important
role. Though Institute participation had increased since a rash of Uplift
failure 40-50,000 galactic years ago. Now both the Institute and the client's
stage consort approve a clients development.
The Ceremony serves two functions - to test client species in order to determine their readiness for the rights and responsibilities of the next stage of Uplift and to allow clients to choose stage consorts to watch, protect and if need be intercede on their behalf. Criteria used in the evaluation include many factors such as phagocity, modality of movement, mental technique, etc. The Ceremony culminates in a selected pair entering the Hyperspace shunt and projecting their affirmation of Patrons and choice of Stage Consort. During the Ceremony clients also have the right to ask that the Uplift process be stopped and reversed.
- Anglic - language spoken by Earthlings; a derivative of English. On other colonies (not Garth) Anglic had adopted many words form Galactic Seven, Two, and Ten. Unlike Galactic languages, Anglic allow the use of metaphors. (Rossic and Nihanic are other Earth languages)
- Galactic One
- Galactic Two - Tymbrimi have a dialect based on GalTwo.
- Galactic Three - Spoken by the Gubru. Sentences have triple verbs, each one having the approximate meaning as the others.
- Galactic Four - popular amongst avian species.
- Galatic Six - Spoken by Thennanin.
- Galactic Seven - language that Galactics wanted Earth to adopt. Instead Earth hired Kanten, Tymbrimi and others to translate the Library into Anglic. Tymbrimi have a dialect based on GalSev.
- Galactic Ten - spoken by the Brother of the Night. Tymbrimi have a dialect based on GalTen.
- Galactic Twelve
- Primal Delphin - semi-language spoken by natural unmodified dolphins on Earth. Considered rude if spoken by uplifted Dolphins.
- Trinary - A whistling, chirping, clicking language spoken by Humans, Dolphins and Kanten. Very poetic structure using three level logic. It replaced Primal Delphin and was used by fins for relaxation, imagery, and personal matters. Past, present, and future are hard concepts to express in Trinary. Used in Dolphin poetry.
- Athanasfire - Warship, Captained by Buoult, arrived at Garth carrying a human delegation to finalize negotiations for the Gorillas.
- Bradbury - Ship that brought Jacob Demwa to Mercury. A newly designed huge spherical ship using Galactic designs. It could take off at sea level under its own power instead of having to use a space needle.
- Calypso - Jumpship traveling to human colonies that Helene DeSilva served on.
- Darwin - Corvette class cruiser in the space battle over Garth.
- James Cook - Captained by Helene DeSilva Alvarez. Creideiki served aboard this legendary survey vessel.
- Krondorsfire - Gigantic Thennanin arrowhead-shape ship, manufactured 30 million years ago, that crashed on the surface of Kithrup and later used as the Trojan Seahorse by Streaker. The Thennanin are terrified of reality alteration and do not use probability drives. Baron Ebremsev was the former Thennanin commander.
- Quegsfire - Thennanin flagship above Kithrup.
- Laddu'kek - Starship that brought the g'Kek to Jijo.
- Polkjhy - Jophur ship.
- Streaker - Small Snark-class exploration vessel and the first Dolphin crewed starship. Originally left Neptune, captained by Creideiki of the Terragen Survey Service. Its mission was manyfold: to check the veracity of Library records, to evaluate how well a dolphin-crewed and commanded ship functioned, to establish relations with potential allies, and to further Tom Orley's military intelligence work. It was designed with minimal Galactic technology from a modified Snarkhunter class exploration vessel. It carried the characteristic Earth vessel trademark of rotating dry wheel to create pseudo-gravity since Human tried to minimize the use of Galactic artificial gravity technology. The dry wheel provided human work rooms and cabins, as well as, dolphin pools for leaping, splashing and sexual play. Within the Streaker's bow were stored three smaller vessels, the Skiff, the Longboat and the Captains Gig. The Gig was lost in the Shallow Cluster along with 10 crewfen and the former second-in-command. The Longboat was lost when Takkata-Jim led Galactic forces away from Kithrup. The Skiff, under Hikahi command, stayed on Kithrup one week after Streaker escaped Kthsemenee system and had was crewed by Creideiki, Keepiru, Toshio, Sa'hot, Dennie, Tom Orley, Charles Dart and 3 Kiqui, when leaving Kithrup for Earth. Streaker's had an original crew 130 dolphins, 32 of which had died by since leaving Earth, 7 humans, and one Chimpanzee. (See Characters Page)
- Sunship - Sunship designed to explore the corona of Sol. A sphere with a reflective outer surface measuring twenty meters in diameter. Nice diagram in the front of Sundiver. A combination of Galactic and Earth technologies went into the design of these ships.
- Tabernacle - transport that brought Humans to Jijo.
- Vesarius - The third slow ship to return to Earth. It was the first to make contact with the Tymbrimi at Cygnus and bring about the Galactic Age for Humanity. Once visited Garth.
- Vesarius II - Helene DeSilva signed on to design this new ship since she missed her jump on the Calypso. It was supposed to hold up to 10,000 colonists.
- X'klennu - tiny Xappish starship lost above Kithrup.
- X'ktau - tiny Xappish starship lost above Kithrup.